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Search Results Edges Miss Brazil In Busher, Earns 50 Kentucky Oaks Points

The $250,000 Busher Invitational kicked off the stakes action on Gotham Day at Aqueduct Racetrack in thrilling fashion as the two favorites, Search Results and Miss Brazil, sparred for the duration of the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, with the Klaravich Stables-owned Search Results proving best by a half-length at the finish.

Sent off as the narrow second choice in the wagering at 2-1, Search Results was making just her second career start on the heels of an emphatic, four-length debut win on January 3 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Chad Brown.

Despite a far less imposing resume than Miss Brazil, who won the local prep for the Busher, the Ruthless, by 6 ¼ lengths as an encore to a dominant maiden score at Aqueduct, the betting public had the race pegged with near-laser precision as Miss Brazil was sent off the slightest of favorites at 9-5 — a margin that was almost transposed onto the racetrack given the way the race unfolded.

The field of six all broke well and formed a very tight pack down the backstretch of the Ozone Park, N.Y., track as Miss Brazil went out to show the way through splits of 24.53 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.64 for the half with Search Results in close attendance on her outside. The two continued to amble along on the front around the far turn, logging three-quarters in 1:15.14, and began to gain separation from the others as the field turned for home.

As jockey Eric Cancel finally let her loose, Miss Brazil tried to inch away from her rival down the lane, but Search Results proved an intractable foe and refused to concede any ground to the favorite. With a sixteenth to go it was still anyone's race, and it was only in the waning strides that Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano and Search Results were able to finally pass Miss Brazil, stopping the clock in 1:39.75 for the distance.

“She broke so well out of the gate. She put me in a good position to rate and I didn't want to take that away from her and take her back,” said winning rider Castellano. “I just let her do what she wanted to do. She was happy and she settled fine. They were just galloping along in the lead with the one horse [Miss Brazil], who was my target on paper.

“When I asked her, she didn't switch leads, but everything I asked for, she gave it to me. She responded,” he added. “I like the way she galloped out and I think she's going to be a good filly in the future. Two turns will be even better.”

The win made it two in a row for Search Results, a dark bay daughter of Flatter that was purchased for $310,000 as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, and in the process netted her 50 qualifying points toward a berth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs. Search Results returned $6.30 on a $2 win wager and received the winner's share of the purse of $137,500, bumping her bankroll to $161,500.

A game Miss Brazil finished second, 5 ¾ lengths in front of Search Results' stablemate The Grass Is Blue, who got caught up in a bit of traffic around the turn and was still able to muster a rally in the stretch behind the tepid early splits, while it was another half-length back to Laobanonaprayer in fourth. These three earned 20, 10, and 5 Oaks qualifying points, respectively, for their finishes. Make Mischief and Mo Desserts completed the order of finish.

Updated Kentucky Oaks leaderboard

“The plan going into this race was to go to the lead and make her comfortable, and I followed through with it,” said Cancel of runner-up Miss Brazil. “I just got caught the last sixteenth. The [final furlong] made a little bit of a difference with it being her first time going a mile. She fought hard almost to the wire. The last sixteenth she struggled just a bit, but they ran hard. I can't take anything away from her. She's a really decent filly.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Biogio's Rose, a one-turn mile for state-bred fillies and mares 4-years-old and up in Race 7. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Laobanonaprayer Chasing Oaks Points In Busher Invitational

Two-time stakes winner Laobanonaprayer has already proved she can win at a one-turn mile and will look to replicate that effort against the most talented field she's faced in her young career in Saturday's $250,000 Busher Invitational for sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 42nd running of the Busher, which offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top-four finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs, is one of four stakes on a packed day at the Big A. The card is highlighted by the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham in a Kentucky Derby prep race and also includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for 4-years-olds and up and the $125,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational for fillies and mares 4-and-up.

Laobanonaprayer, owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez, has never finished off the board in her first five starts, compiling a 2-2-1 ledger with a field-high $252,400 in earnings. After a third-place debut effort in September at Delaware Park followed by a runner-up effort over the same track in October, the Laoban filly broke her maiden in impressive fashion with a 5 1/2-length score in the Maid of the Mist going one mile over Belmont Park's Big Sandy on October 24 in defeating fellow New York-breds.

She concluded her juvenile campaign with an eight-length win in the New York Stallion Stakes Series Fifth Avenue on December 6 before running second in the 6 ½-furlong Franklin Square in her 2021 debut finishing 1 ½ lengths behind Secret Love on January 16 at the Big A.

Velazquez noted that inclement weather at his Parx Racing training base had interrupted Laobanonaprayer's training schedule leading up to and following the Franklin Square.

The talented filly has recently posted a pair of sharp works, including a five-furlong effort in 1:01.61 on Saturday over the Parx main track in her final breeze before shipping to New York.

“She's been doing good and we've gotten the works that we've needed,” Velazquez said. “We're excited to see open company and the level change. I think this race sets up perfect. I know that I hit every work that I needed to hit. Now, it's just a matter of her having the talent and ability and a getting a good trip to get the win.”

Velazquez said he's been impressed with her improvement overall since starting her career in September.

“She's calmed down a lot,” Velazquez said. “She was a bit of a hyper filly, and she still is, but that edge is there for racing, she's just getting a little more mature. She's always been a big filly and she's gotten a little wider and a little stronger.”

Meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche will be the irons from post 2.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will seek his first career win in the Busher, sending out a pair of formidable contenders in Klaravich Stables' Search Results and Louis Lazzinnaro's The Grass Is Blue.

Search Results, unraced as a juvenile, won her first race with an impressive four-length score on January 3 at Gulfstream Park. The Flatter filly was a $310,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and will be well-rested entering her second career start after training at Payson Park in Indiantown, Florida. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pick up the mount from post 3.

“We gave her some time since that race to recover and get in a good rhythm with her works,” Brown said. “She seems ready to run again now.”

The Grass Is Blue added blinkers last out for a winning effort at Aqueduct, besting Coffee Bar by one length to win the 1 1/8-mile Busanda on January 24. That victory netted the Broken Vow filly 10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, placing her 14th on the current leaderboard, and marked her third win overall in five starts.

After running sixth in the Songbird in November at Keeneland – the only time in five starts she failed to place – The Grass Is Blue ran third in the Anne Arundel County on December 26 at Laurel before earning a return trip to the winner's circle in her first 2021 start next out.

“She's really come along nicely in her development,” Brown said. “I didn't want to cut her back in distance, but she's been thriving in New York this winter in the environment and I didn't want to take that away from her. She was sharper with the blinkers on and pulling on Manny a bit, so maybe a cutback won't hurt her.”

The Grass Is Blue will see Manny Franco ride from post 4.

Team D's Miss Brazil followed a maiden-breaking win at second asking on November 29 at the Big A with a 6 1/4-length gate-to-wire score in the Ruthless going seven furlongs on February 8 over the same track in making her first start as a 3-year-old.

A daughter of Palace Malice, Miss Brazil has given her connections optimism that the one-turn mile should not be an issue, with trainer Tony Dutrow saying a strong performance could open up the potential to run even longer as the year progresses.

“She leads us to believe that seven furlongs to a mile is within her ability, but we'll find out for sure,” Dutrow said. “She'll probably meet the best horses she's ever faced before, and with an added distance, so we know we have to past this test. But I'm happy with how the progression has gone so far.”

Eric Cancel, aboard for the Ruthless win, will have the return call from the inside post.

Gary Barber's Make Mischief will have a quick turnaround after winning the Maddie May by a neck on February 20 at Aqueduct. Contested at the Busher's distance, the Maddie May saw Make Mischief shoot up the rail to overtake Brattle House in the final furlong. She will return just two weeks later looking to build on a stellar 3-3-0 record through seven starts.

“She came out of that race good, so we're running,” trainer Chris Englehart said. “She's a big, strong filly. Last race, coming up the fence the way she did, she showed a lot of courage.”

Make Mischief was trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse for her 2-year-old campaign that saw consecutive runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Schuylerville, Grade 2 Adirondack and the Seeking the Ante during the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.

Barber sent Make Mischief to the New York-based Englehart for the start of her 3-year-old year to get ready to compete for the winter meet with great success, as Make Mischief is 2-for-2 at the track, starting with a 3 ½-length win against optional claimers going seven furlongs on January 31, resulting in a personal-best 74 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She came to us in great shape from Mark Casse and she's pretty much the same horse,” Englehart said.

Dylan Davis will have the call from post 6.

Late Night Stable's Mo Desserts will step up to stakes company for the first time, looking to build on a maiden-breaking 15 1/2-length score against a five-horse field at the Busher distance on February 8 for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The Nyquist filly started her career with big expectations, selling for $300,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale. Unraced as a juvenile, she ran third on debut in a six-furlong sprint on January 10 at Aqueduct before an emphatic win next out when Pablo Morales rode for the first time. Morales will have the return engagement from post 5.

The Busher is slated as Race 6 on Aqueduct's 10-race program with a first post time of 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Maddie May Winner Make Mischief Among Fillies Eyeing Kentucky Oaks Points In March 6 Busher

Following a rail-riding triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Maddie May against fellow New York-bred fillies, trainer Chris Englehart said Gary Barber's Make Mischief could return to open company in the $250,000 Busher Invitational on March 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y

The Busher is a qualifying prep race for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs and awards the top-four finishers points on a 50-20-10-5 scale. The most recent winner of the Busher to win the Kentucky Oaks was King of Prussia Stable's Princess of Sylmar in 2013.

Make Mischief, a daughter of Into Mischief, secured an early stalking position behind pacesetter Brattle House, who commanded leisurely fractions. In mid-stretch, jockey Eric Cancel had just enough room to the inside of the frontrunner to take advantage a few strides outside the wire and win by a neck. Make Mischief, who earned a 71 Beyer Speed Figure in victory, has never finished worse than second in six of seven lifetime starts while boasting $207,750 in earnings.

Make Mischief earned graded stakes black type during her juvenile campaign when finishing second in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 2 Adirondack for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, both at Saratoga Race Course.

Casse sent Make Mischief to Englehart's care for a winter campaign launched by an allowance victory going seven furlongs on January 31 at the Big A.

“We were pretty confident with her going in,” Englehart said. “We thought she would run well, and she did. It was a little worrisome when [Brattle House] went slow up front, but she came through really well like she was supposed to.”

Englehart said he would monitor the filly's energy level before making a decision on her next start, but did not rule out the Busher Invitational.

“We're invited to the Busher,” Englehart said. “We'll keep our options open with her and see how she trains, but that would be something we'll consider.”

Bred by Avanti Stable, Make Mischief is out of the Speightstown mare Speightful Lady and was bought by Flamingo Bloodstock for $285,000 from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Paramount Sales.

Miss Brazil Breezes For Busher
Miss Brazil won her stakes debut last out in the Ruthless on February 8 at Aqueduct and returned to the work tab for the first time since that 6 1/4-length score, breezing four furlongs in 48.89 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track on Saturday.

Trainer Tony Dutrow said the sophomore Palace Malice filly came out of that effort in good order and continues to progress heading into her expected start in the $250,000 Busher Invitational on March 6.

Miss Brazil, owned by Team D, capped her juvenile campaign with a maiden-breaking win at second asking on November 29 at the Ozone Park-based track, earning a 93 Beyer. In her 3-year-old debut, she wired a three-horse field in her first start stretching out to seven furlongs.

In the Busher, she will compete at a one-turn mile for the first time and face more challenging competition, as the race is a qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, offering 50-20-10-5 points to the top-four finishers.

Miss Brazil, who ran third in her debut in October over Belmont's Big Sandy, was bred in Kentucky by Haymarket Farm. Dutrow said he's been pleased with her improvement, including besting Gulf Coast, who had won a stakes at Gulfstream Park in the Cash Run before competing in the Ruthless.

“I feel good about the way she handled a Gulfstream Park-stakes winner in her last race and I feel good about what she's accomplished so far,” Dutrow said. “We're very happy with the way she's been training on the track at Belmont Park and the way she broke her maiden there; those were the factors in keeping her in New York this winter. She stays very good training there and she has a fondness for the Aqueduct surface. That's why we went the New York route this winter.”

Impressive Maiden Winner Mo Desserts 50-50 For Busher
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said plans are currently in flux for impressive maiden winner Mo Desserts.

Owned by Late Night Stables, Mo Desserts tasted sweet victory in her second start, where she stretched out to a one-turn mile in style with a pacesetting 15 ½-length romp over a fast main track on February 8 at the Big A, garnering an 81 Beyer.

The chestnut daughter of second-crop sire Nyquist could race back in the $250,000 Busher Invitational, but Jerkens said plans are still up in the air.

“We're fifty-fifty right now,” Jerkens said. “She ran really well when she broke her maiden, but there was a bit of a rail bias that day, so we took that into consideration. It was still, all in all, what we were hoping for.”

Mo Desserts returned to the work tab on Thursday morning with a three-furlong move in 37.70 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.

“We weren't looking for much the other day,” Jerkens said. “She's not the heftiest thing in the world, she's kind of slight.”

Bred in Kentucky by DJ Stable, Mo Desserts was purchased for $300,000 from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. She is out of the Dynaformer mare Frozen Treat – a full-sister to dual turf graded stakes winner Masseuse.

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Busher Winner Water White ‘Ready To Go’ For Saturday’s Grade 1 Acorn

E.V. Racing Stable's Water White, last out winner of the Busher Invitational on March 7 at the Big A for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, will look to double up in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“She's doing well. Hopefully, she'll continue to train well over the next couple of days, but so far so good,” said Rodriguez.

Bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush, the 3-year-old Conveyance gray graduated at third asking in November at Aqueduct ahead of a fifth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at nine furlongs in December. She followed up with a five-wide second in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda in her seasonal debut in February ahead of her Busher breakthrough.

Water White has breezed six times since April 28 at Belmont Park, including a swift half-mile in 47.89 May 30 which was followed by another good half-mile in 48.66 on June 9, both efforts on the Belmont main track.

“I breezed her an easy half-mile the other day because she went pretty fast the work before,” said Rodriguez. “She's ready to go. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that we get a good trip.

“She's been working pretty steady,” added Rodriguez. “But they still need to get over there and compete.”

Rodriguez said he is hoping that Water White will be closer to the pace on Saturday.

“She's a grinding horse,” said Rodriguez. “She doesn't have much speed but I'm hoping she can be a little closer. The track has been playing for speed.”

The Acorn offers the winner 50 points toward the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks; Water White has 54 points currently and is eighth in the standings.

The veteran conditioner has enjoyed a good start to the Belmont Park spring/summer meet where he is currently fifth in the trainer standings with a record of 4-3-4 from 30 starts.

“The horses have been running very well. I have to thank my owners for being patient through the pandemic,” said Rodriguez.

The probable field for the Grade 1 Longines Acorn includes Casual (Steve Asmussen), Gamine (Bob Baffert), Lucrezia (Arnaud Delacour), Perfect Alibi (Mark Casse), and Pleasant Orb (Barclay Tagg).

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